Fire-escape



(No Model.)

0. A. SCHNELL. FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Sept. 12, 1882. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

GHARLES A. SGHNELL, OF TROY, OHIO.

Fl RE- ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,345, dated September 12, 1882,

Application filed March 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. SOHNELL, of Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Fire- Escape, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

- shoulders and catches at the'lower ends; and,

thirdly, of a box or receptacle having a hinged platform supported by cords, said box being adapted to travel along a rope by means of pulleys connected thereto by bails, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a general view of my improved fire-escape, showing the manner in which it is used. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sliding box or basket. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation of the hook and the combination-pole for raising it. Fig. 4. is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is ageneral view, showin the manner of raising the pole.

A large hook, A, is provided at its lower or butt end with an aperture, B, adapted to receive the upper end of a pole, O. The lower end of the hook is also provided with an eyeloop or ring, O, for attaching a strong rope, D. This rope is preferably provided at its end with a spring-hook, E, which can be passed into the ring 0. This rope D is preferably made of fire-proof material, such as wire; but

in all cases the upper fifteen or twenty feet of this rope should be made of wire. The hook A is provided with a pulley, G, ashort distance above its lower end, over which-pulley G a wire rope, H, about one-quarter inch thick, can be passed, and which is secured at its lower end to a drum, J, of a Windlass, provided with a brake, K, and mounted on a truck, L, or some other suitable movable or portable support. The upper end of the rope H is attached to a grooved pulley, M, resting on the. rope D,

from which pulley M one end of the box N is suspended by means of a bail, N. The other end of the box N is suspended by means of a bail, N from a pulley, M, on the the rope D, below the pulley M, the difierence in the height of the bails N N being such that the bottom of the box N will be about horizontal. A swinging board, R, is pivoted to one end of the box, and can be adjusted by means of the upper edgesof the socket-rings P. The

sections 0 O 0 820., are provided at the upper andlower ends with spring-catches b, which catch on the socket-rings I, as shown in Fig. 3. The uppermost section, 0, of the pole is provided near its upper end with a hook, Q, adapted to be passed over the rope D. The box or basket N is preferably made of sheet- 1ron.

The operation is as follows: The sections 0 O 0. &c.', are put together to form a pole of the required length, and the hook A is placed in the uppermostscction, O. The rope D is secured to the ring 0 of the hook, the rope H is passed over the pulley G, and the pulleys M M are placed on the rope D. Then the hook A is raised by means of the pole and hooked on the sill or frame of a window, as shown in Fig. 5. The pole O is then withdrawn and the rope D is held taut by a number of men, or its lower end is secured to alamp-post, hydrant, or some other suitable object. The

basket or box N is raised up to the hook A by along the rope D, whereby the rope D will guide the upper end of the section 0 into the aperture B in the lower end of the hook A. Then the hook A can be removed by means of the pole.

The above-described fire-escape is very efl'ective, and can be erected for use very easily in a few minutes, and there are no heavy and cumbersome parts.

In place of the box or basket, a rope ladder or other ladder can be raised to the window by means of the above-mentioned device.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the hook A, provided with an aperture or recess, B, in its lower or butt end, of the pole 0, provided near its upper end with a hook, Q, substantially as herein shown and described,and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the hook A, of the pole 0, formed of a series of sections, 0 O 0 provided at the upper ends with socket-rings P and at the lower ends with shoulders at and catches b, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the box N, of the pulleys M M, the bails N N and the swinging end platform, R, and supporting-cordsIt, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES A. SGHNELL.

\Vitnesses:

A. T. BROOMHALL, VVALTEE S. THOMAS. 

